Turkish swimmer wins historic gold at world championships

By Halil Ibrahim Avsar

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish swimmer Derin Toparlak made history by bagging the gold medal in the men's 1,500 meters from the CMAS Finswimming Senior World Championships.

Toparlak became the world champion with a time of 12.38.27 in the men's 1,500 meters in the event, which started on Monday in Tomsk, Russia, said a Turkish Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF) statement.

Toparlak’s gold is historic, as he is the first Turkish athlete to win the world championship in adult finswimming.

Sandor Pazmanyi of Hungary won the silver medal with a time of 12.43.71, while Russian Iakov Stryukov took the bronze with 12.45.31.

Toparlak, 24, won one gold and one silver medal at the 2019 Fin Swimming Senior European Championships in Greece.

He won the silver at the CMAS Free Diving Pool European Championship held in Istanbul the same year.

A total of 29 countries took part in the 2021 CMAS Finswimming Senior World Championships.

*Writing by Selcuk Bugra Gokalp